Foot protector



g- 1961 R. G. ANDERSON ETAL 2,994,137

FOOT PROTECTOR Filed March 11, 1960 INVENTORS RALPH s. ANDERSON HAROLD s SHARP BY M MMRWW/e g SM ATTORNEYS 2,994,137 FOOT PROTECTOR Ralph G. Anderson, 263 Burke Road, Cincinnati, Ohio,

and Harold S. Sharp, 10285 Pendery Drive, Lexington, Ky.

Filed Mar. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 14,324 1 Claim. (Cl. 36-72) This invention relates generally to foot protectors and more particularly to a toe protector which protects the toes or forward portion of the foot of the wearer from being injured especially when using a rotary type lawn mower.

In the past safety shoes for protecting the foot of the wearer against injury have been provided. Such safety shoes were of complex construction and generally included metal plates which were included as an integral part of the shoe. Due to the complexity of such devices they were expensive to manufacture and the purchaser had to buy a pair of shoes if he desired the protection afforded by such devices. Such safety shoes had to be constructed of a plurality of sizes which further added to their expense. The prospective purchaser found it necessary to be individually fitted and this involved consumption of much time to achieve a proper fit. From the viewpoint of the seller such devices created the necessity of carrying large inventories in order to have on hand an adequate range of sizes for all prospective customers. When such safety shoes wore out the safety features, though still in good condition, had to be discarded with the shoe and a new pair of safety shoes purchased.

Still other devices on the market involve complex expensive structures which are adapted to fit over the shoes of a wearer to protect the foot of the wearer. Such devices are usually very complex and are made from steel or sheet metal and often include a plurality of riveted or welded parts. These devices are constructed to provide a covering which extends around the forward portion of the foot to protect the foot of the wearer in the area of the shoe vamp. Such devices are necessarily bulky and awkward and due to their cumbersome construction tend to promote stumbling and falling by the wearer and thereby contribute to accidents and the injuries sustained therein.

Furthermore, such prior devices are unsuited for use with rotary power mowers for even though an operator of a rotary mower wears such devices, there is nothing to prevent his foot and the device from inadvertently sliding under the mower into contact with the whirling rotary blade. There is no assurance that severe injury would be prevented once the foot is engaged by the whirling rotary mower blade since the severe twist or shock of the powerful blade might be suflicient to injure the foot.

The present invention is designed to overcome all of the aforesaid shortcomings. The present invention is further designed to prevent injury to the foot of the wearer by prohibiting the foot from inadvertently sliding under the frame of a rotary mower into contact with the whirling rotor blade. The present toe protector is light weight and may be readily adapted for use with ordinary street shoes, thus eliminating the expensive purchase of special safety shoes. The device is so constructed as to be hardly noticeable to the wearer and therefore it does not contribute to falls as a result of stumbling but rather is provided with means which prevent slipping or sliding during use in a lawn cutting operation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a toe protector which is adapted to fit ordinary street shoes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toe protector which is of extremely light weight construction to be relatively unnoticeable to the wearer and not Patented Aug. 1, 1961 lend to or promote fatigue which in itself often contributes to the occurrence of accidents.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a toe protector which when worn with ordinary street shoes will prevent the foot of the operator from inadvertently sliding under the mower and into contact with the whirling rotor blade.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a simple and extremely efiicient toe protector which may be quickly attached to or removed from an ordinary street shoe without the necessity of removing the shoe from the wearer and one which may be used with no discomfort to the wearer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toe protector which is of extremely simple construction which may be quickly and easily applied to or removed from ordinary shoes and one having means which retain the device in a properly applied position so as to continuously assure maximum protection to the wearer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a safety toe protector device characterized by its structural simplicity, the ease of manufacturing, its strong and sturdy nature and its low cost. Other features of this invention reside in the arrangement and design of the parts for carrying out their appropriate functions.

Further objects of the present invention and certain practical advantages will be referred to in or will be evident from the following description of two embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a toe protector embodying the features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view showing the application of the present device to a shoe;

FIGURE '3 is a bottom plan view of the toe protector;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the bottom showing one type of stud or cleat which may be applied to the device and,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a modified form of cleat applied to the bottom of the device.

Before describing in detail the herein disclosed embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the structural details or the particular arrangement of parts herein shown, as devices embodying the present invent-ion may take other forms. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology herein used are for purposes of description and not of limitation, as the scope of present invention is denoted by the appended claim.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, the toe protector of the present invention is referred to generally by the numeral 10, as seen in FIGURE 1. The toe protector is generally a rigid one-piece plastic member adapted to fit over the forward or toe portion of a shoe. The toe protector is completely open at its top. The protector includes a base portion 11 which conforms generally to the sole of an ordinary street shoe 12. The base is adapted to lie substantially parallel to the plane of the shoe sole. The base portion 11 has a curvilinear peripheral edge which is adapted to conform generally to the curvature of the peripheral edge of the forward part of a shoe sole. The back edge 11a of the device is generally straight and is provided with a tapered surface which extends downwardly and rearwardly from the upper surface of the base portion 1 1. A vertical shield or side wall 13 projects upwardly from the periphery of the base portion 11. The side wall or shield preferably has its highest elevation at the foremost portion of the device and has its side walls tapering downward toward the back edge 11a of the de- 3 vice. As seen in FIGURES l and 2 the upstanding side wall 13 and the base portion 11 terminate in substantially a point at 14.

The upstanding side wall is preferably but not necessarily provided with corrugations which extend downwardly from the upper edge thereof to the base portion 11. The corrugations lend strength and rigidity to the device.

Rows of spaced holes 15 and 16 are provided in opposite sides respectively of the device adjacent the intersection of the side wall with the base portion 11, as seen in FIGURES l and 2. Suitable flexible string or binding is provided which preferably includes at least two spaced parallel loops 16 and 17 for engagement with the toe portion of the shoe 12. The binding loops 16 and 17 press inwardly upon the top of the toe portion of the shoe to securely retain the shoe in its mounted position on the toe protector, as seen in FIGURE 2. The binding loops 16 and 17 are disposed so that they pass through at least two of the holes 15 and 16 on each side of the device. Additional binding loops may be provided by using additional holes 15 and 16. An additional binding 13 is preferably secured to the rearmost hole of the rows of holes 15 and 16 and is adapted to be engaged around the heel of the shoe as seen in FIGURE 2. The flexible bindings do not in any way interfere with the bending of the foot in stooping or walking.

The toe protector is applied to an operators shoe, as illustrated in FIGURE 2 by inserting the toe portion of the shoe into the device so that the toe of the shoe engages the upstanding side wall 13. The binding loops 16 and 17 which engages the upper surf of the toe of the shoe combine with the heel engaging binding 18 to prevent the shoe from being displaced from its position as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The binding 18 when secured about the heel of the shoe tends to maintain the shoe Well within the confines of the toe protector and in a position wherein the forward edge of the sole of the shoe is in abutment with the forward portion of the upstanding side walls 13. The binding loops 16 and 17 maintain the shoe in engagement with the base portion 11 of the device. It will be noted that the zone of intersection 19 between the foremost portion of the upstanding side wall and the base portion is rounded for the purpose of facilitating walking with the device. This permits the device to more readily pivot about its forward edge during the walking operation.

Spaced ports 20 and 21 are provided in the forward portion of the upstanding side wall 13 for the purpose of permitting any water, which may accumulate in the device during use, to escape.

The base portion 1 1 of the device is constructed of a size which will readily receive and accommodate a plurality of different size shoes. It is not necessary to provide an exact fit for each shoe size since the flexible bindings readily adapt the device to a wide range of shoe sizes.

The overall length of the base portion of the device is preferably such that the back edge 11:: terminates in the Zone of the shoe sole adjacent the ball of the users foot or where the sole of the shoe 12 bends upwardly, as at 22 in FIG. 2. By having the back edge 11a terminate in the zone adjacent the ball of the users foot and since there is nothing to interfere with the instep portion of the foot, free bending movement of the forward portion of the shoe is permitted during walking and stoopin-g movemerits. Thus, when the shoe is bent by stooping or walking the forward ends of the binding member 18 merely pivots in its openings and retains its position in the groove between the heel and the upper portion of the shoe. Flexing of the shoe during the walking or stooping operation does not adversely affect the tension on the binding member 18 and the loop members 16 and 17.

Preferably the toe protector device herein disclosed is made of a plastic; for example high impact styrene plastic or high density polyethylene plastic which is particularly adapted for injection molding operations. The weight of the device when made from such plastic materials is approximately two to two and one-half (24 /2 ozs.) ounces which is in effect so insignificant that the wearer is hardly cognizant of the presence of the device upon his foot. The device if made from steel would weigh approximately seven to eight times more than when made from a plastic material and becomes noticeable and tiring to the wearer. However, due to the novel construction of the present device it need not be made from steel, in fact the device is just as effective in preventing the foot from inadvertently sliding under a rotary mower into contact with the whirling rotary blades when made from a light weight plastic material. Due to the construction and elevation of the upstanding side wall 13 the toe protector as herein disclosed provides substantially as much protection as the same device constructed of steel.

The maximum height of the upstanding side wall 13 in the area of the forwardmost portion of the device is such as to prevent the device from sliding under the frame of a rotary mower. Following a sampling of present day rotary mower construction it was determined that a height of approximately 3 /2 inches is preferred. However, it will be understood that this height may be varied, but should never be less than the spacing between the ground and the body or frame of the rotary mower which is used. With the present construction the upstanding side wall 13 does not interfere with walking or stooping.

Means is provided to further prevent slipping or sliding during use of the present device in a lawn cutting operation. -As seen in FIGURE 3 the bottom of the device may be provided With a plurality of spaced cleats or lugs 1111 which are formed integrally with the bottom of the device during the molding operation. The cleats are preferably provided with blunt lower ends and are of adjustable depth 4 inch found satisfactory) to grip the ground during use.

Another embodiment of such means is shown in FIG- URE 4, wherein, the base portion 11 is provided with a plurality of spaced metal screws 23 having blunt ends thereon which promote increased life particularly when walking on driveways and sidewalks. The screws may be threadedly received within the base portion 11 and project through the base portion with their blunt ends disposed downwardly to engage the ground. Suitable sheet metal spring-type nuts 24 may be used to secure the screws to the device.

Another embodiment of the invention for preventing slipping or sliding is shown in FIGURE 5, wherein, a plurality of cleats or studs are secured to the bottom portion of the toe protector. The cleats or studs may be of the permanent type or of the replaceable type and are preferably of the replaceable type. Each stud includes a member having an enlarged head 25 and a threaded shank not herein shown which is adapted to threadedly receive an outer wearing shell 26. 'When the outer shell 26 becomes worn it may be removed from the stud and replaced.

Thus, it will be seen that we have accomplished the objects of our invention, namely, the provision of a toe protector which is light, compact, and may be quickly and easily attached to or removed from an ordinary street shoe and further one which when used will cause no discomfort to the wearer. The device constitutes a simple and inexpensive one which will provide a large measure of safety particularly when used in lawn mowing operations involving a rotary power mower.

In view of the foregoing description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art.

Having thus described our invention and illustrated its 5 what we claim is new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A readily detachable toe protector of a light weight plastic material, comprising a base portion adapted to receive thereon the forepart of a shoe sole, said base portion lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the forepart of said shoe sole, said base portion having an outer periphery conforming generally to the shape of the forepart of said shoe sole, an upstanding side wall extending along the periphery of said base portion, said upstanding side wall being constructed with corrugations, said upstanding side wall having a maximum height at the foremost end of said toe protector and sloping downwardly toward the back end of said protector, the bottom portion of said upstanding side wall having opposed holes provided therein for the insertion of retaining means,

said retaining means comprising a flexible band adapted to be looped over the toe of the shoe and extend through opposed holes in said side wall and rearwardly to engage about the heel of the shoe to securely retain said toe protector on the shoe and projection means provided on the bottom surface of said base portion to insure protection against slippage to the wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,506,662 Peller Aug. 26, 1924 2,249,553 Catafi'o July 15, 1941 2,807,098 Wunker Sept. 24, 1957 2,808,664 Frieder et al. Oct. 8, 1957 2,881,539 Dysart Apr. 14, 1959 2,891,329 Good June 23, 1959 warren STATEE PATENT OFFICE CERMMQATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No 2,994,137 August 1, 1961 Ralph G Anderson et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in ,the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as "corrected below a In the heading to the printed specification lines 3 to 5, for "Ralph G.a Anderson, 263 Burke Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Harold S. Sharpfl0285 Pendery Drive, Lexington, Ky," read Ralph G. Anderson, 10285 Pendery Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Harold S,, Sharp, 263 Burke Road, Lexington, Ky.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of March 1962.,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

